The heated public debate over genetically modified foods shows the agricultural industry is not doing enough to communicate biotechnology’s benefits to society, according to a group of witnesses hosted by the House Agriculture Subcommittee Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture on Wednesday.
“Today’s hearing made it very clear that we still have a lot of work to do to communicate with the public about the benefits of biotech,” said Ranking Member Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon.
David Just of Cornell University said there is a tide of “irrational consumer fears” regarding biotechnology. The science of biotechnology is vast and includes hybrid genetic engineering as well as trangenics, or GMOs.
Additionally, Calestous Juma of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, said political leadership is hesitant to make changes in support of biotechnology, which is “something they think their voters might not support.”
He said, “Biotechnology product pipelines are being choked by discriminatory regulations, labeling threats, and a rising tide of product disparagement and misinformation.”
Industry members have acknowledged a lack of initiative to communicate with the public over the past couple of decades. The Council for Biotechnology Information, which includes BASF, Bayer CropScience, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, Monsanto Company and Syngenta, recently formed the GMO Answers campaign and website in an attempt to conduct a forum that could address the public’s concerns about biotechnology.
Read the full, original article: Lack of communication is to blame in biotech debate, according to House panel
